A/N thanks to Shiro241 who suggested this idea for a one shot. Reminder requests are open again. If you have one dont hesitate to ask.

This is a five plus one fic. Hope you enjoy.

1.

Izuku's POV

It had been a year and a half since he was abandoned by his mother. In that time he made a life for himself at Dagobah Beach in an old trailer that he fixed up. The trash added protections from anyone meaning harm. If anyone did get past his traps there was always Luka to contend with too.

Luka was an all black wolf dog that Izuku found six months after he was abandoned. Like the teenager, the wolf dog wasnt wanted by the humans. They were quite a pair given what happened to them.

In the evenings before he patrolled as a vigilante Izuku would take Luka out for walks. This allowed him to get exercise and Izuku to scout out potential trouble. Routines seemed to make him complacent however.

Unless there were a lot of people out and about he rarely leashed Luka. Besides the fact that the wolf dog could pull him anyway he wanted. It didnt feel right to leash his friend. Almost like it was taking away from the other's freedom.

That night something felt off as he and Luka were scouting out the city. To him who had been a vigilante for over a year it was too quiet. This side of the city was known for criminal activity at all times of the night. Especially given the hour.

It was later than his normal time due to him sleeping in for once. Unusually his nap had been peaceful and not full of nightmares as it normally was. That meant he slept in until Luka decided to lick his face. At which time the sun had nearly set.

A piercing scream resounded in front of them. It came from a nearby alleyway that was a well known spot for criminals. They knew there weren't any cameras there.

Izuku didnt wait to see if there were any heroes around. He didnt have to. This side of Musutafu never had a hero around when they were needed. Most heroes were underground and tried to stick to when Izuku as Okami patrolled. Everyone wanted to be the one to catch the elusive vigilante.

Running into the alleyway he found a man standing over a woman his hand raised as if to strike her. Luka didnt wait to lunge at the man. His silver fangs ripped through his shirt and bit down into the arm. The man let out a shout of pain and tried to shake Luka off.

Izuku didnt let him get that far as he jumped into the fight. A swift strike to the back of the man's knees and a sharp whistle had him on the ground. Luka had let go and as soon as the man hit the ground was sitting completely on his chest.

With the criminal taken care of he turned his attention to the woman. Silvery blue eyes stared up at him fearfully. Izuku held out his hand to her and for a moment she considered him. Then she took it and with the strength someone his size shouldn't have he pulled her to her feet.

Before he could ask if she was okay there was rustling above them. Luka let out a low menacing growl as Izuku looked up. A man in all black with a cloth around his neck dropped down beside them.

Izuku immediately put himself between the woman and the unknown person. Dark eyes glanced between them and Luka. The wolf dog let out another menacing growl and Izuku watched the man carefully. He had to be sure if this person was a hero or another villain.

The man grumbled tiredly, "You stopped this guy kid? You and your... dog?"

There was a flash of yellow under the cloth at the man's neck. A pair of yellow goggles just barely peaked out from under them. That was what caused him to recognize the man for who he was. Pro Hero Eraserhead an underground hero who was rarely if ever seen. Almost nobody knew of him.

Izuku said with a grin, "You're the Erasure hero Eraserhead. I didnt know you patrolled this area. Heroes are next to nonexistent out here."

The hero grumbled, "I dont usually patrol this area. Unfortunately you have a vigilante problem. Call off your dog kid so I can secure him."

Once Izuku had Luka step away Eraser set out upon securing the criminal. Well that was that. His work was done here. Better to get back before the hero realized that he could be the vigilante.

While Eraser's focus was on the criminal he bowed to the woman. Then he slipped out of the alley and was disappearing into night when he heard a muffled curse behind him. Maybe they would meet again but he hoped not.

The vigilante didnt notice the feeling of eyes upon his back.

2.

Chasing Luka through the streets was not an unusual occurence. What was unusual was the fact it two in the afternoon. For whatever reason his wolf dog decided to rush out of their camper.

Izuku rubbed a hand over his face as he turned down into another street. Almost running smack dab into a man in a trenchcoat. Warm hands easily steadied him as Izuku stuttered out apologies.

Behind the man he could see Luka looking very smug. If Izuku didnt know better he would have sworn that his partner knew exactly what he was doing. Actually he really shouldn't put it past Luka. His partner was extremely intelligent. If he could he would see if the wolf dog had an intelligence quirk. Unfortunately that cost money and he could barely keep them fed much less afford a doctor trip.

The man said gently, "Easy there. Are you okay? I guess that is your dog huh?"

Izuku faked a smile as he said, "I'm thank you, Mr?"

"Tsukauchi Naomasa its nice to meet you."

"Izuku," he introduced himself avoiding his last name.

That name was familiar. Wasnt Tsukauchi the detective that was handling his case? Was he in the alley trying to gain information on him? Why did

Tsukauchi turned his head to the side as he said, "You and your dog shouldn't be in this alley. This area isnt safe. Let me escort you back out."

Izuku was firmly led out of the alley by the detective. Luka still smug as ever followed at his heel.

Curious Izuku questioned, "If the alley is so dangerous what were you doing there?"

Tsukauchi sighed, "Looking at different patrol routes. There is a vigilante who we are trying to catch."

Izuku questioned innocently, "You mean Okami? Hes been keeping the area safe you know?"

"Regardless it's dangerous work to be a vigilante," came the tired reply, "Even heroes get hurt and they backup. As a vigilante they only had themselves and that's it. There are times I worry for his safety."

Tsukauchi worried about him? That was odd. Then again the man could have figured out that he was Okami. If so then the detective was just waiting for him to let his guard down.

To his surprise he was allowed to leave once they reached the street. Tsukauchi hesitated for a moment before he said, "Here take this," he held out a business card for Izuku to take, "If you need any help give me a call. Day or night I promise I'll answer."

Reluctantly he took it and with a hand on Luka's bandana he headed home. It was only later did it occur to him to wonder why the detective thought he might need help.

3.

Sliding down the rooftop Izuku kept up the pace. It was not his night and there were three heroes on his tail. Eraser was right behind him and was steadily gaining. Where the other two were he wasnt sure and at the moment he didnt care.

As he dropped onto the ground he tried to keep running. Only for a figure to come into the alleyway. Oh for the love of... if Eraser wasnt hard enough to get away from now he had to deal with Fatgum.

Izuku didnt have anything against heroes but he did get tired of being chased. His breaths came in ragged gasps as he faced down the man.

Fatgum said blocking the exit, "The game is up, Okami. If you surrender now we can help you."

Izuku bounced up onto the balls of his feet as he growled, "Not a chance Fatgum. I have goals that must be achieved. I cannot do that from jail."

"You cant do them from jail either," retorted a gruff voice from behind him.

Damn and now Eraser was enclosing him in their trap from behind. Izuku turned so that he could see both heroes. With this he didnt have much of a chance to escape. In the front he would be grabbed and captured by Fatgum's quirk. By retreating he would have to fight Eraser and avoid his capture scarf. If he didnt get away immediately Fatgum would join the fight. Taking Eraser would be difficult but not impossible. Both heroes would be impossible for him.

A low growl drew their attention towards the mouth of the alley. Izuku wanted to strangle his wolf dog. Luka was snapping at Fatgum's heels.

The vigilante ran past the hero as Luka continued to snap. Eraser snapped, "Get back here, Okami. We have the block surrounded."

Izuku didnt need to avoid the police. Even under the best of circumstances they had been unable to catch him. With Luka by his side it would be simple to escape once more.

A sharp whistle from Izuku had Luka returning to his side. Together they were chased through the streets by police and heroes. Only to escape at three in the morning ditching Eraser on the east side of town.

4.

Pressing a gauze onto the wound that was bleeding on his side. Unlike most of his injuries this one did not come from being a vigilante. Instead they were from bullies who cornered him outside of the store.

Somehow Bakugo's goons had learned that he stopped in the shop once a week for supplies. They cornered him as he came out ans thrown an arm around his shoulders like they were old friends. Then dragged him into the alley behind the store.

One had a knife quirk and while the others kept him pinned the kid used his quirk on Izuku. Several deep lacerations now littered his upper body. A few smaller ones were across his arms and cheek from failing to defend himself.

Other wounds included what he thought was a broken rib and his left wrist broken. It was a good thing he had gotten medical supplies. He had been lucky that Luka had gotten free to find him when he did. Despite having fixed how Luka got out the week before his partner still got out. It was like the wolf dog had some kind of clairvoyant quirk. One that only seemed to work when he was in trouble. Too bad he couldnt understand what Luka thought. That would make things more interesting.

Damn he would need to get more supplies another day. For now now he would need to stop the bleeding and split his wrist. Treating his ribs could wait until he got back.

Luka snarled drawing Izuku's attention to the entrance his hand still pressing into the wound. There stood a tall, slim man with an unnaturally long neck. He wore a pair of jeans, a denim waistcoat with two large breast pockets, and a denim dress shirt with a very high collar which covers his face up to just below his nose.

Best Jeanist was standing before him watching him with kind light green eyes. Damn it. This was the last thing he needed right now.

Izuku croaked watching the man carefully, "Get back."

Luka let out another snarl at the hero who held up his hands. Izuku pulled out a roll of tape to fix the gauze to his side. It wasnt perfect but it would have to do for now.

Izuku questioned mistrustfully, "What does the Number Four hero want? You dont usually come to this area?"

Jeanist replied eyeing Luka carefully, "There was a report if an injured person out here. I was in the area when the report was given so I answered the call. Can you call off your dog so I can check your wounds? You look like you could use hospital."

Izuku snapped, "No hospitals."

"Alright then. No hospitals," agreed the hero easily.

Izuku eyed him a moment longer before letting out a sharp whistle. Luka glanced back at him then let out a low growl to the hero. Once his point was made the wolf dog returned to his side. Everything about his posture screamed protective.

Slowly Jeanist approached him before kneeling beside Izuku. The vigilante hissed as the now blood soaked gauze was pulled away. A deep frown crossed the hero's face as he got to work treating the more serious injuries.

Izuku's head jumped up when he heard unfamiliar footsteps. To his surprise Sansa, one of the officers that chased him on a regular basis appeared. His amber eyes were alert and focused in on them immediately.

The cat man said bending so that he appeared less threatening, "Hey there. Youre Izuku right?"

"How did you know that?" He questioned wincing slightly as Jeanist wrapped the wound to his side.

The cat man replied with a gentle smile, "My name is Sansa. I work with Detective Tsukauchi and he mentioned you had a wolf dog. When the call went out of a possible feral wolf dog he suspected someone was trying to get you in trouble. He's dealing with them now."

Izuku groaned, "He shouldn't bother its not like there is anyone who cares to begin with. If he knew the truth about me, he wouldnt care either. No one ever does."

The last part was said in such a small whisper Jeanist strained to hear it. By the way his hands stilled Izuku was sure he was shocked by the admission. It wasnt like he was lying. No one cared what happened to him from the moment he was diagnosed quirkless.

Done with the situation Izuku pushed himself to his feet. He gave a slight hiss as his ribs strained but he was able to keep his feet. Jeanist remained where he had been kneeling. His green eyes watching the vigilante with something akin to interest.

Ignoring the hero Izuku moved towards the entrance. Only to stop in front of Sansa and say, "No matter how we wish things were different they wont be. I dont want or need anyone's help. Thank Tsukauchi for his concern but I'm fine."

With that Izuku and Luka disappeared into the streets. Neither hero nor officer tried to call him back. He was fine damn it. Maybe if he repeated it enough they would finally believe him. In his heart though, he knew that they wouldnt.

5.

Walking through the city was for once was peaceful. No heroes putting their noses where they didnt belong. No bullies deciding that he needed to be put in his place. Again.

Given the time of day he had to keep Luka on a leash. Being pulled through the streets by an excitable wolf dog was not his idea of a fun time. He was having to jog to keep up with his partner.

Civilians glared at him as he passed by. A few tried to yell at him to stop but they were ignored. If anyone got to close to Luka they were growled at. Not surprising the wolf dog trusted people about as much as he did. The only exception he found was Detective Tsukauchi it seemed. For whatever reason the wolf dog seemed to like him.

The sound of flapping wings caught his attention. Looking up he saw a red winged man coming towards them. For one horrifying moment he thought it was Tsubusa. Once friend turned bully just like everyone else. It took several seconds to realize that the wings were the wrong kind and that the man was blond haired.

Oddly concern was etched across his face as the two slowed to a stop. Unlike many well meaning but ultimately interfering people he did not reach to grab Luka away from him.

Instead the man, Hawks his mind eventually supplied just stood to the side. He wasnt close enough to grab him but his presence was noticeable. Luka didnt immediately snap at him but his hackles were raised.

Izuku questioned suspicion clear in his green eyes, "Is there something you need, Hawks? I haven't done anything to warrant a visit."

At the very least his civilian persona hadn't. The nights had become more interesting the longer he went without being caught. Heroes both underground and limelight were hitting the streets during his usual patrol times. He had to change up his times and routes to avoid them.

Hawks smiled as he replied sheepishly, "I was looking for the famous kid and his wolf dog."

Famous? What in the hell was he talking about? There was no way he could be famous. Right?

Hawks's smile became slightly more forced as he asked, "You didnt know? Most of the heroes have heard of you since your run in with Best Jeanist and Sansa."

A sigh escaped him. Okay that was more reasonable and containable. At least they hadn't figured out who was behind the mask. That would have been a disaster.

Then again... he glanced over at Luka who was still eyeing the hero. Given how often his partner is escaped to join his patrols with him, he was surprised they hadn't figured it out yet.

Izuku said forcing a false smile onto his face, "Well I'm glad to have met you, Hawks but I need to get back to walking Luka here. He needs to burn off some energy you see."

"Then let me help," the hero said exaggerating the happiness in his voice.

There was no way that could be a real offer. He was quirkless and in the eyes of the world he was useless. Yet Izuku couldn't see any falsehood within the man's eyes. He seemed honestly excited at the prospect of walking Luka.

Wolf dog and teenager exchanged glances before he said, "I'm not sure about this, Hawks. Luka is difficult to control under the best of circumstances."

Hawks bent to a knee so that he was eye level with Luka. He held a hand out to the wolf dog and allowed him to sniff. Cautiously Luka did so then he allowed Hawks to scratch him under the chin.

Well then, that was an interesting change. Luka was cautious about any kind pets from anyone. It had taken weeks for him to allow Izuku to pet him. Yet here he was allowing a complete stranger to do so.

There was a light rumbling sound from Luka a moment later. It took all of his self control not to show his surprise. That was how Luka showed his happiness. He didnt wag his tail like a normal dog. It drew too much attention so he made a rumbling sound.

Hawks said after a moment, "You should probably talk to Tsukauchi you know. He worries about you? He asks that anyone who runs into you to let him know."

Izuku snorted, "None of you would care if you knew the truth. In fact you would probably encourage the bullies."

Hawks's eyes became sharp as he glanced back at Izuku. He questioned his voice shaking with anger that was strangely not directed at him, "What do you mean? Why would we encourage bullies? I for one hate bullies with every fiber of my being. There are few things that I can say I hate. One of which are bullies."

Izuku glanced at the hero unsure. This was not what he was expecting. Most people ignored the fact that bullies still existed in this day and age. Yet here was the Number 3 hero outright saying he hated bullies.

Shaking he head from the thoughts Izuku took a step away. Luka followed the movement and Hawks stood. Confusion clouded the man's eyes as the two took another step back.

"If you knew the truth," whispered the boy, "None of you would care. Why do you people all pretend you're different from the others? No one cares about people like me. It's a fact of life."

"Kid, wait," tried Hawks but Izuku was already disappearing into the crowd of people.

He couldn't afford to get attached to anyone. They would only hurt him in the end. Right?

+ 1

This was a terrible idea but he couldn't just turn away. So he jumped into the middle of cthe alley kicking a very pissed off hero student out of the way of a knife. Stupid kid trying to take down the hero killer alone.

Patrolling Hosu was an entirely new experience for him. He wasnt from the area and he didnt know the heroes who roamed it. Even with this unsureness he had brought his partner with him as he didnt know how long he would be in town.

Luka had taken to the city like a fish in water. Every night they were there they were spent tracking down leads. Which was what lead them here tonight.

Following Luka had led him to this alley and he almost wished he hadn't followed. Izuku had some skills but he knew he was no match for the hero killer. He had seen what happened to Ingenium, a pro who he respect immensely.

Izuku couldnt just walk away from this though. The hero student was without a doubt Ingenium's younger brother. He was looking for revenge for the hero killer ending his brother's career. While he understood Izuku couldnt allow the blood to be on his hands. This kid would not be able to defeat Stain and Stain would kill him for his interference.

Pulling his knife free of its sheath he ordered, "Kid take your hero and get out of here."

"No! I have to make him pay for paralyzing my brother," denied the kid.

Izuku snapped, "You idiot! If your brother was unable to beat him. What chance would you have? Get out of here. I'll hold him off while you get the heroes," he paused for a second before tossing the other his phone, "Take my phone and call Detective Tsukauchi. Tell him Okami has engaged the Hero Killer."

Stain growled pointing his serrated knife at Izuku, "You're Okami, the vigilante that has been working in Musutafu. You have the heart of a true hero. Protecting the false heroes is beneath you. Stand aside. I do not wish to fight you."

Izuku truly did not want to do battle with him either. He had some skill otherwise he wouldn't have survived as long as he had. Or avoided being caught every single time the heroes caught up to him. The skills he had would not be enough against this man. That was a fact but still he could not let someone die while he could stop it.

Still he had seen what Stain had done to Ingenium. He swore after he saw that he would help bring down Stain. Ingenium was one of the only person, hero or otherwise that heard quirkless and didnt shoot down his dream. To date he had been the only one to figure out Okami was quirkless.

Instead of pitying Izuku he worked to befriend him. Whenever the hero was in town he would meet Izuku alone on a rooftop to bring him food. At first Izuku had been understandably wary of the man. With time he had grown to look forward to the outings.

"A vigilante but that means," Iida tried.

Izuku snapped, "You're a hero student arent you?! Get the injured hero out of here. Right now your priority should be the injured. Not your own revenge. Otherwise you are just as bad as Stain is!"

From the corner of his eye he saw the way the taller boy froze. Then he turned on his heel and grabbed the injured hero. With the use of his quirk left the alley in record time.

Good he had gotten through the kid's thick skull. Now to deal with the Hero Killer. He was not looking forward to this. Taking a deep breath he put his hand into his jacket. In it was a button that he made on the chance he got way in over his head. An emergency beacon that would send his coordinates out to every hero and vigilante in the area. Even if Iida didnt call Tsukauchi someone should come.

Or maybe he was misplacing his faith once again. No! Bad Izuku. Those doubts had no place in this situation. He had to believe they would come even if to satisfy their own curiosity.

Angry red eyes met his green ones as the man snarled, "You're helping false heroes. For that you shall pay with your life."

With that the killer lunged at him and Izuku hastily blocked the strike. Learning to use a knife had been through trial and error. He rarely drew it for he used stealth to sneak up on criminals. No matter what anyone said practice was not like an actual fight.

Sparks danced as their knives clashed Izuku being careful to dodge strikes he couldnt block. The man's quirk had something to do with stabbing. Or maybe with blood given that all his blades were serrated. Ingestion maybe?If that was so he needed to keep the villain here while avoiding getting stabbed at the same time. Easier said than done.

As Izuku went to block another strike there was a bark from Luka. On instinct he glanced over at his partner to see what the issue was. In his moment of distraction Stain was able to get through his guard. Hell fire and pain erupted in his side as the blade tore it open.

A second later he collapsed unable to move as the villain licked the blade. Damn it! He was right by ingesting the blood Stain paralyzed his victims. Izuku was a fool to let himself be distracted.

Stain said condescending, "You're a good vigilante, Okami. However letting a false hero go is unforgivable and now you pay the price. Maybe you will learn from this I'm your next life."

As the man moved stab him but was stopped by a wolf dog. Luka bit deep into the man's shoulder. Stain let out a loud curse before trying to stab him. It only took a moment for Luka to be dislodged and dropped onto the concrete. He let out a low growl.

Izuku ordered, "Luka, get out of here! Forget about me!"

His partner growled low in answer. It was clear by his stance there was no way he would leave Izuku. He struggled to move at all. Nothing in his body would move even a centimeter. The quirk had him within its clutches. He couldn't save himself or his partner.

Luka continued to bite and tear at the villain. His fangs stained red with blood. Stain for his part seemed to be feeling the effects of losing so much blood. For a moment Izuku had hope that they might actually make it out alive.

Then as Luka lunged to bite into the villain Stain turned to the side avoiding it. His blade tore through Luka's shoulder. He let out a pained cry and he tried to break free of the quirk. To Izuku's horror his partner wasnt getting up. This couldnt be how he lost Luka. Not now!

His eyes caught movement above them and something fell towards the ground. Was that a... feather? What the fuck?

A blond haired man dropped out of the sky on the villain. In his hand was red sword made out of feathers stopping the other's sword. It took previous seconds for Izuku to recognize the hero who had come to his aid.

Relief flooded him alongside the recognition. It was Hawks one of the few heroes that seemed to care about the ignored. He didnt care about what status the people he helped had or their quirks. It was refreshing to see when there were many heroes who prioritized those with higher status.

Izuku shouted, "Hawks! Dont let him cut you! His quirk works by ingesting your blood!"

Hawks questioned not looking back at him, "Are you serious?"

"Yes, it's why I cant move."

There was the soft mutter of, "Damn."

They knew that his quirk wasnt exactly suited for this kind of combat. Feathers were not a good matchup against steel. Still he continued to struggle against the quirk. For a second he felt his fingers twitch. It wasnt full control but he was coming out of it.

Seconds later there was the sound of air being blasted from something. Then a bullet like object went flying at Stain kicking him in the face. An old man in a yellow costume landed on the ground. Hawks relayed the information Izuku had given him and both heroes faced down the villain.

Stain growled, "More false heroes. I will cull each of you. Only All Might is worthy of being called a hero."

Izuku slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees. Movement was slowly returning to him. Light headedness over came over him. Damn he was losing too much blood.

His eyes fell where Luka was laying across the ground. A pool of blood was forming around his partner. Painfully he crawled across the ground as the heroes fought the villain.

Luka weakly raised his head to look up at Izuku with pained amber eyes. The wound was large and deep. Its edges jagged from the serrated edge. Pulling off his jacket without care of who would see he used it to try and staunch the bleeding. His cowl remained but it wouldnt exactly protect his identity. It didn't take long for the jacket to become completely soaked in blood.

"Okami!" Came a familiar yell from the entrance of the alley.

He barely glanced up in time to see Tsukauchi rush towards him. The man dropped to his knees before Luka.

Izuku pleaded, "Please help him. I dont care what happens to me. Just help him."

Tsukauchi didnt replied instead he began tying on his phone. Izuku returned his attention back to his partner. His light headedness was only getting worse as he continued to lose blood.

Behind them the heroes were finishing the fight with Stain. Thanks to his warning they knew not to get stabbed. Though it appeared that Hawks was struggling to keep up. A quick strike by the old man followed by a punch to the jaw by Hawks knocked out Stain.

Hawks said into his comm causing the old man to start with surprise, "Nighteye we have Stain in custody. Send an ambulance to my location and notify the hero partner veterinarian that we have two patients with a stab wounds."

Tsukauchi glanced over at the hero confused. Hawks pointedly glanced at the ground where there was a growing pool of blood. Not all of which was Luka's. It seemed Izuku hadn't done a very good job of hiding his own injury.

There were muffled words said around him. It was as if they were speaking under water. He pitched forward a second later only to be caught by strong arms.

Izuku was turned around so that he was looking up into the worried dark eyes of Tsukauchi. With some difficulty he heard, "Hold on, Okami. Just hold. We will get get you some help. All you have to do is hold on."

That was the last thing he heard as the world faded for black. His last thoughts were of Luka and he hoped that the detective would take care of him. What he did more expected was to come back to a few hours later.

The bed he was lying on was the first thing he took notice of. It was too soft to be a prison bed or his sleeping bag back at home. By the scents around him he had to guess that it was a hospital bed.

He could feel an iv in his arm and hear the heart rate monitor. Yet there was no sounds that someone was by his side. No indication that someone was ensuring that he didnt wake up and run off. Not that he would at this point. He didnt know where Luka was. Or if his partner was even still alive.

Opening his eyes he found that he was indeed in a hospital. A single room with a window that overlooked the city. He was still in Hosu? Surprising. He would have thought that they would have taken him away.

Izuku ran a hand down his face noticing that his cowl had been removed. So they knew who he was then. That meant they would likely toss him out as soon as they realized he was awake. Would he have to pay for Luka's treatment? Was Luka even still alive?

His heart clenched at the thought of his only friend being dead. No he could not assume the worst. Not until he had more information.

His attention was drawn to yelling approaching his door, "What do you mean you wish to "put him down"?! The kid isnt a rabid animal, ma'am."

A high pitched female voice snapped back, "He's quirkless, detective. They are worse than rabid animals. The quirkless should not even exist in this world. They should do us all a favor and die already."

That was about what he was expecting from the doctors. No one wanted to treat a person who would just die soon anyways. The quirkless weren't worth their time. This was why he avoided the hospital and doctor's offices.

Sitting up on his elbows he watched warily as Tsukauchi entered. The man held a cup of coffee in his hands. It appeared as if he was desperately trying to reign in his anger. Then dark eyes fell upon him and softened. He could see the anger drain out of the man.

Izuku questioned wincing at the sound of his voice, "What happened?"

Tsukauchi said gently, "I'm glad you're awake. We were worried that we didnt get you to the hospital in time. You've been unconscious for three days."

Izuku questioned fearful for the answer, "What about, Luka? Is he okay? Did he make it to the vet?"

"Your wolf dog will be just fine," soothed the detective, "We got him treated at a hero partner clinic. All expenses for both of your treatment were paid by a couple different heroes. So you dont need to worry about anything but getting better."

Izuku turned his head to the side as he said, "Since I dont have my cowl on you know who I am. You know that I am quirkless. So why do you care what happens to me?"

That was question. Why? Why did these heroes and police care when no one else did? There had been heroes and police both who turned away from helping him the moment someone said quirkless. It was like he was worse than the dirt beneath their feet. So what made these people so different?

Tsukauchi answered firm and honest, "I don't care if you're quirkless. Neither do Hawks, Jeanist, or Sansa. You did good that night saving Ingenium's younger brother."

Izuku snorted. Sure he did. The kid probably would lecture him on what a bad idea being a vigilante was. Ingenium would do the same he knew. Both brothers were sticks in the mud but they had good hearts.

Tsukauchi sighed, "I know you dont believe me but we do care about you. We just want to help."

"Why?"

Izuku remembered how kind the man was to him and to Luka. Like Ingenium, Tsukauchi looked after him though it was his civilian identity not his vigilante one. That first meeting hadnt been their last. Mostly it was food or coffee that they shared. Occasionally the man would bring him art supplies. Every time Izuku went to leave it always seemed as if Tsukauchi wanted to stop him. But he never did and it left Izuku feeling confused.

Tsukauchi reached out causing Izuku to flinch back. This caused the man to retract his hand.

Tsukauchi began again softer this time, "I want to help you. Both as your vigilante and civilian self. You're old enough to go to a hero school right? Why didnt you try that route?"

Izuku gave the man an "are you stupid look". That caused Tsukauchi to laugh lightly, "Your right most schools wouldnt accept a quirkless teenager. But I do know one that would. A school run by a particular rat. He would show a lot of interest in you. Particularly for your mind."

"You think I could go to UA?" He asked in a small voice, "You really think I could be a hero?"

"You already are a hero kid."

Tears sprang up into his eyes and for the first time since he was abandoned he allowed himself to cry. It was the first time anyone had said he could be or was a hero. To be honest he wasnt sure what to make of it.

Warm arms encased him and this time he didnt flinch away from them. Gentle fingers carded through his curls. A voice trying to soothe him. Against everything his mother taught him, he relaxed slowly against the man.

Izuku raised his hands to grip Tsukauchi's shirt as he whispered, "I'll believe in you."